| 16 Jul 2009 |
 Will and Alec, the two youths from London (UK) that was trained by Arsenal GAP Year are back in Manica. After spending 5 weeks at GDM in 2008, the two (joint nickname Walec) is back in Manica, to the delight of the town.
Their trip is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, and they are focusing, not only on football techniques, but specifically training the coaches and presenting life-skills interventions to youths younger than 15 years. This year, through liaising with the Provincial Football Association, Walec and GDM has also been conducting interventions outside of the town and district of Manica, with the first sessions being conducted in the Provincial capital of Chimoio.
Will and Alec are also helping with management capacity building and general day to day duties around the club.
The biggest gift they give though, is that of their friendship. The impact they are having in Manica as friends and role-models is very important to those youths that work and play with them every day. Perhaps it is fitting to conclude this article with the words of Walec:
"My experience of GDM has had a huge impact on my life, I feel that it has really opened my eyes to the world and the way in which I see and do things now. GDM is so much more than just a football club, its role in the community is inspiring. The atmosphere in the town on the day of a match is fantastic to be around, you can tell that the people of Manica are proud of their club, and rightly so. It really has changed the way in which I see my life now, and I can not wait to go back next month! Adepto Para Sempre!"
- Alec Norton
"Manica opened my eyes to the real world. It is very difficult to explain the feeling that Manica gives you when you spend a period of time there. The best thing to do is just experience it yourself because there are no words to describe it. Because of Manica I now know what I want to do in the future and achieve in other places what has been achieved in Manica."
- William Stone
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| Last Updated on Thursday, 16 July 2009 17:53 |
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Comments
It is an honour to be involved with GDM and it is really improving the lives of people in Manica. I hope that during our time there we managed to make a difference as GDM is so worth working for. It is doing so much it is an honour to be involved.
Thank you so much to everyone at the club for making us feel so welcome once again. We really love it there and it has become our home in Africa.
It is really exciting to see what the future holds for this club and the town of Manica. There is no doubt that it will be fantastic and will continue to grow at a fast pace.
I cannot wait to return and find out. Once again a massive thank you to everyone. The work you are doing is really making a difference.
There were some big changes to the club within the last year, with the addition of the bar and the children's creche highlighting the developing nature of the project. The plans for the new pitches and the progress on that project in particular whilst we were in Manica, portrays a fantastic attitude of GDM to continue to develop and progress towards its long term goals.
The ambitions of the club make it a really exciting place to be, I can not wait to come back already! Thank you to everybody at GDM.
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